Convert gas heat to electric

Asked Jan 26, 2006, 07:46 AM
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4 Answers

Could someone please tell me the pros and cons of converting our gas heat to electric. We just moved to TN and are astounded that the gas man comes every four weeks and fills the tank and our house is COLD all the time anyway!! We are thinking that electric heat would be more proficient and cost less in the long run. Any comments? We really need some suggestions. Thanks in advance.

Of course this will only help you calculate the cost to heat your home comparing between propane and electric. You still must figure for the initial installation costs to convert your existing system from propane to electric.

Assuming you have a gas fired hot air system with ductwork already installed, you would need to replace the exisitng unit with a new electric furnace or heat pump, and retain the duxtwork system. This may also cause you to to replace your electric service, because of the large amonunt of electric power the electric heat unit will need.

Just to throw some wild numbers around, if the service costs $1500.00 and the new electric furnace costs $5000.00 complete with installation, total conversion will cost $6500.00. Now to realize a payback in a reasonable time, say 5 years, you would need to save at least $1300.00 per year to begin saving money in the sixth year by converting from LP to electric.

I am sure there are other misc factors that will come into the equation, but with this information I believe is enough to get you thinking of the result.

Warmth-wise, though; you can not expect the home to feel warmer just because the heat is electric versus gas. In fact, electric heat does not come out of the vents as hot as gas heat does (Electric systems typically just cycle on and off more often - putting out "luke warm" air - as opposed to gas systems that put out much hotter air less often).

Some heating prices have taken a jump this year, but not as bad many expected. It is spotty by area too. I certainly don't think anybody should plan electricity not going up too.

If your house is cold, and the unit runs almost constantly, it must be undersized. A larger unit might not be the best idea. In addition to its cost, whatever energy source you choose, you will be paying forever. One immediate solution might be a service call from the dealer to clean and adjust what you have now. It might put out more heat for the same amount of gas.

A better solution may be to reduce heat loss. How old is the house? If it is poorly insulated and sealed, upgrading it may be the best solution. Windows, insulation, caulk, you pay once, and save money as long as you own the house. If you are not heating up new air constantly, moisture levels are higher, friendlier to nasal passages and makes the house feel warmer for the same temperature. Insulating and sealing are also more friendly to DIY than installing a heating plant.

Tighten up you house. Give energy prices a few years to stabilize, and then look at the costs of energy. At that time, you could look at a heat pump properly sized to your more efficient home. Another factor is the age and efficiency of your current system. A modern, more efficient unit would be cheaper to operate. You also need to talk to the power company about whether your service is adequate for electric heat and if they will upgrade it if not. The regulators are keeping prices down, but not allowing the electric companies the money to upgrade older neighborhoods. In addition to being a bad idea, a large heat pump may not even be possible.

Any decisions need to be based on local costs, not national averages or what is happening elsewhere. We are having such a mild winter here it is hard to compare, but my natural gas rates aren't up much at all.

[QUOTE=Jynnifer]Could someone please tell me the pros and cons of converting our gas heat to electric. We just moved to TN and are astounded that the gas man comes every four weeks and fills the tank and our house is COLD all the time anyway!! We are thinking that electric heat would be more proficient and cost less in the long run. Any comments? We really need some suggestions. Thanks in advance.[/Q
Ussually it cost less to heat with gas... to find how much it will cost you to heat with electric... we need to know : how much you are paying for the gas(per pound/ cubic feet)? how much you are paying for electric per KW?. if it is propane ask thesupplier how many BTU per lb/ft3... what is the capacity of your heater

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